Here’s a vegetarian version of scrambled eggs with sausage. Taking some inspiration from the United Kingdom (where roasted mushrooms are often served with eggs for breakfast), I came up with these stuffed mushrooms that mimic the flavor of pork sausage. The rich, buttery mushrooms, with maple syrup and sage, will satisfy any sausage-lover. Begin melting the butter to cook the eggs when the mushrooms have been in the oven for about 10 minutes, and serve with jam-slathered toast.

Ingredients

For the mushroom-maple bundles

  • 10 ounces white button mushrooms
  • 4 tablespoons (1⁄2 stick) unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons melted, divided
  • 1⁄4 plus 1⁄8 teaspoon coarse salt, divided
  • 1⁄4 cup finely chopped red onions
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage leaves
  • 1⁄4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
  • 5 grinds black pepper
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

For the scrambled eggs

  • 8 large eggs
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
  • 3 tablespoons 2% milk
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 8 grinds black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Make the bundles

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard. Turn the mushrooms so their undersides are facing up. Use a melon baller to gently and carefully scoop out their centers. Finely chop these centers, and set aside (you should yield about 3 tablespoons).
  2. Place the mushroom caps, undersides facing up, close together on the baking sheet. Drizzle evenly with the 2 tablespoons melted butter and sprinkle evenly with the 1⁄8 teaspoon salt. Spread the mushrooms apart.
  3. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat. When melted, add the chopped mushroom centers, onions, garlic, and sage, and sauté until the onions are softened and the mixture is aromatic, about 4 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes, and sauté until the breadcrumbs look crisp and golden, about another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the maple syrup; mix well to distribute the syrup throughout.
  4. With the melon baller (or your fingers), spoon the stuffing into the mushroom cavities, packing it in. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing is golden brown, about 20 minutes (watch carefully, as you don’t want the sweet stuffing to burn).

Cook the eggs

  1. While the mushrooms are baking, cook the eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients. Melt the butter in a nonstick 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, reduce the heat to medium low and pour in the eggs.
  2. After a couple of minutes, use a rubber spatula to begin gently pushing the egg mixture from the edges to the center of the pan. Wait another minute or so, then repeat the process, continuing to gently scrape the eggs away from the sides of the pan (don’t let the eggs form a skin around the sides of the pan and don’t let the bottom of the eggs turn brown). You’re going for silky, tender, yellow eggs—imagine a loosely ruffled yellow blanket. As soon as the eggs look barely wet (after they’ve been in the pan for about 5 minutes), immediately remove them from the heat.
  3. Serve the hot eggs and mushrooms immediately.

Try This: Make this dish vegan by substituting trans-fat-free margarine or olive oil for the butter in the mushrooms. Instead of eggs, whip up a tofu scramble.